One of the best gifts I ever received was a jar of Reese's Peanut Butter. It's the best peanut butter by far, and unobtainable anywhere out of the Atlantic Seaboard. Someone who knows me well took the trouble to go into a Giants store for only that one item. The PB is long gone, but that gift still stands out as one of the most thoughtful. Often the best gifts are more a reflection of being observant than its price.
Great post! Of course credit card companies are going to take advantage of every possible psychological impulse to keep their customers indebted. Unfortunately, way too many people fall prey to these tactics and pay the price (quite literally).
Thanks for posting the differences among thrift stores. It really helps to classify thrift stores before you shop, so you know what you're getting into.
For me, the Ikea Effect is the process in which I grow to detest buying furniture because I injure myself while assembling it. But gosh darn it, Ikea does have delicious (and cheap) meatballs.
After reading your story I see why so many people would rather chose their local thrift store vs. a department store. I remember a few years back a former friend wanted a gift card at Goodwill and I looked at her with a puzzled face. Nevertheless I purchased the gift card and I was so shocked of how full the store was when I entered. This article has definitely persuaded me to go to my local thrift store to find good deals.
This article was very intriguing. Not only did I learn so much more from it I was able to remember a past experience where I wanted to increase my credit card limit. I am so glad that I didn’t because I’ve learned how to manage my money better and I don’t need an increase, all I really needed was discipline to decrease the limit and I’m proud to say that I don’t need to use a credit card anymore.
I have had VPI on all three of my dogs for 6 years total now and THEY ARE AWESOME !!
My Lhaso Apso, Spense's back basically blew up on him with no warning what-so-ever. The gel like substance that is in the disks in your back to cushion ur step when u walk had turned to a powder in Spenses back which, obviously turns to dust, so late one night I got woke up by a crash and it was Spense hitting the floor. He had tried to jump off the bed but he was paralized from his shoulders to his tail from his spine crushing the nerves in his back because the disks had collapsed. He had to have surgery hours from when the diagnosis was made and the surgery was like $3600 plus 2 other doctors and emergency visits for a $5,000 total that I had to come up with in about 3 hours. That was the hard part...coming up with the $5,000 to begin with. The easy part was getting reimbursed by VPI who sent out a check for all but 10% and 3 $50 co-pays for $150 total. So, basically they gave me like $4500 of it back with no hassle what-so-ever. Spense has had a total of 5 surgeries and VPI is always wonderful. Can't praise them or thank them enuf because Spense is my heart. Love him so much !!! He wouldn't be healthy and happy and walking around if not for the insurance. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND WORTH EVERY CENT.
You Tube is an awesome resource to learn something new for free. I have watched videos on how to set up technology equipment, dancing, doing make up, and how to do my hair. I will be trying some of these other great suggestions for free resources to learn new things.
You can also get free DVDs and CDs from the Library! Another idea is to trade or barter your current DVDs that you don't watch for other people's DVDs. They may have movies that you haven't seen and vice-versa
gift cards or cash is what my hubby has always told me he prefers. I do try to make it look like I put a little effort into it like last year I bought him a new wallet and put money, gift cards, pictures of us and other small items in there just to show him I care. To me thats better than slapping a 20 dollar bill in a card and being done with it.
Definitely food. Maybe homemade, but only if it's something that is special for birthdays and not made regularly at other times. Otherwise the best food gifts in my family are either something more expensive than everyday (real maple syrup, smoked salmon with all the fixings) or something the recipient likes but others in the household don't (rhubarb jam, really dark chocolate, certain types of pickles, etc.).
Thanks for the encouragement, it's exactly what I needed right now. I'm clearing out stuff as we speak as I found myself starting to slow down and drift off. So, I took my camera out (I thought I was the only one who came up with that idea haha). It is extremely helpful. I have a lot of old toys from childhood and I don't want to waste too much time trying to sell them so I just take a picture and it soothes the parting (it really does)!
I haven't found a good trick for 'papers' yet. It is horrible to sort through it and I am always afraid to throw out a document that I might need later (It's pretty bad, I still have every bank book I ever owned and I'm in my forties! When am I ever going to need to go through the bank book I had when I was sixteen!)
Ok, I better get back to work before I get side tracked :)
Thanks again, I will concentrate on the liberating feeling it must provide when one is all done.
My husband loves video games. So my gift not only includes getting him the game, but also giving him time to play it, no guilt or bugging him about it either.
I never find the true answers in articles like this. Sure anything is possible.... if you have the money to pay for it! Everything I need (not want, there is a difference) is based on how the HELL am I going to pay for any of this. It seems every time I just barely squeak by, save a little extra, start to dream a little - Pow, I get hit with some huge bill that wipes it all away. I don't deserve it - I pay all my bills on time, i work hard, I volunteer, I raise my children to the best of my ability, I have the best spouse in the world to walk through life with. So to hear time and time again the advice that if I can dream it I can do it is BS. Unless I hit the lotto (which I won't since I don't gamble) that's not going to happen. There has to be a better way to find happiness. Unfortunately it seems without going into debt - which is easy to do - but i refuse to do so like so many others - without a little extra money - you can't find that true happiness! All I want is for my car to stop needing repairs when I need to pay my tax bill. Please something don't break in the house - when the utilities are due. Please don't let me save $50 this month only to have the car insurance, a birthday, Christmas, a wedding, and who knows what else that will cost me something. They say money can't buy happiness and that may be true -but barely breaking even and worrying constantly about what's next? Is pure torture.
Tonight I did a side by side comparison of Banquet Chicken Nuggets and the Aldi's brand (Kirkwood?) Without knowing which were which, my husband wrongly assumed that the grayish spongy looking flat nuggets were the Aldi brand. When cut in half, the banquet nuggets were clearly brownish and unidentifiable on the inside. The Aldi nuggets were white, the color of white meat chicken. Taste test comparison, the Banquet nugget tasted like processed meat with a "canned" taste. The Aldi nugget tasted like chicken. We have found this to be the case with all of the Aldi (Kirkwood) processed chicken: patties, tenderloins, breaded, fried and the individually quick frozen varieties as well. I haven't compared the ingredients to be honest but if I had to guess, I would guess that the processed chicken at Aldi's has fewer fillers and preservatives than the Banquet and other brand varieties you can purchase at your chain stores--just based on the fact that the Aldi's brand tastes like what it is supposed to be. So if you want to compare apples, to apples (processed food to processed food), I would place my bet that the Aldi brands are better for you. If you are talking foods without additives and preservatives and trying to compare those to processed foods, well that's just common sense that the "natural" foods will be better for you. Let's stick to apples to apples and oranges to oranges. Speaking of which, the produce at our Aldi's is actually very good for the most part. Maybe it depends on the day of week you shop. Chain stores rotate their produce so frequently that there is a ton of waste. I'll stick to the farmer's markets in the summer.
What comprises your bleach solution for keeping the mildew off the shower curtain? I am SO sick of having a bathtub full of black mold, however much I scrub, and the curtain also looks gross. I recently tried a paste of white vinegar and baking soda - applying it to all the mildewed surfaces, let it sit for about 1 hour, then scrubbed. Some came off, but so little. And there's no vent in the bathroom (can't install one - it's the first floor rental of a house). I do my best to remember to leave the window open post-shower - we'll see if this is still viable in the winter, when it's cold in NYC.
This is a huge benefit for parents and children. The FAFSA which is the federal form that determines aid eligibility for most schools does not require you to report any funds in retirement savings accounts. However, they certainly do require you to disclose any college savings accounts or other assets. When determining aid eligibility the formula is usually about 30% of the students net assets per year, and 10% of the parents net assets per year as the "ability to pay" of student/parent contribution.
As such, putting money into a Roth IRA can allow the money to grow and be withdrawn to pay for college (from either a child's IRA if they have had at least 5k of earned income for each year that contributions were made) or from yours. This will allow you to maximize school financial aid and still save for college.
Thanks for dropping by. I personally don't use prepaid debit cards. I prefer credit cards. But mainly because I like to rack up the rewards -- without paying interest. So many prepaid cards come with fees and hassles. If I were to choose a prepaid card, though, I would probably use the Mango card, and deposit money regularly to avoid the fee. The yield is pretty solid. I would use it as a savings tool.
How about some non traditional meats, like goat. If you live anywhere that has a large African or Carribbean community, goat meat can be purchased cheaply. It tastes a little bit like lamb.
I'm thinking of getting one of these to use for purchasing gas, right now the way I budget is the envelope system, but I think this would be more convenient since I could use pay at the pump.
I've avoided eating meat almost my whole life, and I turn to these sources of protein to supplement. I have never had tempeh, but beans and other plant proteins are great. Also, quinoa is a great way to stock up on protein.
By far the best gift I ever received was a bound notebook with two pages letters of advice from the most important older men in my life. Some gentlemen wrote to me of virtue, others of work, others of women, and my high school track coach whom I was very close to wrote me a letter of his ambitions for me and how I could surpass them. To this day I still crack this gift open once in a while when I need to center myself or just need some help.
I know that not everyone can get it, but for those who can, I highly recommend the USAA Prepaid card. It's intended especially for tweens & teens as a way to learn to handle their money. There are no fees & it's really simple to setup online.
One of the best gifts I ever received was a jar of Reese's Peanut Butter. It's the best peanut butter by far, and unobtainable anywhere out of the Atlantic Seaboard. Someone who knows me well took the trouble to go into a Giants store for only that one item. The PB is long gone, but that gift still stands out as one of the most thoughtful. Often the best gifts are more a reflection of being observant than its price.
Great post! Of course credit card companies are going to take advantage of every possible psychological impulse to keep their customers indebted. Unfortunately, way too many people fall prey to these tactics and pay the price (quite literally).
Thanks for posting the differences among thrift stores. It really helps to classify thrift stores before you shop, so you know what you're getting into.
For me, the Ikea Effect is the process in which I grow to detest buying furniture because I injure myself while assembling it. But gosh darn it, Ikea does have delicious (and cheap) meatballs.
Welcome to Wise Bread Emily! A great first post.
After reading your story I see why so many people would rather chose their local thrift store vs. a department store. I remember a few years back a former friend wanted a gift card at Goodwill and I looked at her with a puzzled face. Nevertheless I purchased the gift card and I was so shocked of how full the store was when I entered. This article has definitely persuaded me to go to my local thrift store to find good deals.
This article was very intriguing. Not only did I learn so much more from it I was able to remember a past experience where I wanted to increase my credit card limit. I am so glad that I didn’t because I’ve learned how to manage my money better and I don’t need an increase, all I really needed was discipline to decrease the limit and I’m proud to say that I don’t need to use a credit card anymore.
I have had VPI on all three of my dogs for 6 years total now and THEY ARE AWESOME !!
My Lhaso Apso, Spense's back basically blew up on him with no warning what-so-ever. The gel like substance that is in the disks in your back to cushion ur step when u walk had turned to a powder in Spenses back which, obviously turns to dust, so late one night I got woke up by a crash and it was Spense hitting the floor. He had tried to jump off the bed but he was paralized from his shoulders to his tail from his spine crushing the nerves in his back because the disks had collapsed. He had to have surgery hours from when the diagnosis was made and the surgery was like $3600 plus 2 other doctors and emergency visits for a $5,000 total that I had to come up with in about 3 hours. That was the hard part...coming up with the $5,000 to begin with. The easy part was getting reimbursed by VPI who sent out a check for all but 10% and 3 $50 co-pays for $150 total. So, basically they gave me like $4500 of it back with no hassle what-so-ever. Spense has had a total of 5 surgeries and VPI is always wonderful. Can't praise them or thank them enuf because Spense is my heart. Love him so much !!! He wouldn't be healthy and happy and walking around if not for the insurance. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND WORTH EVERY CENT.
You Tube is an awesome resource to learn something new for free. I have watched videos on how to set up technology equipment, dancing, doing make up, and how to do my hair. I will be trying some of these other great suggestions for free resources to learn new things.
Sally Stretton
You can also get free DVDs and CDs from the Library! Another idea is to trade or barter your current DVDs that you don't watch for other people's DVDs. They may have movies that you haven't seen and vice-versa
Sally Stretton
gift cards or cash is what my hubby has always told me he prefers. I do try to make it look like I put a little effort into it like last year I bought him a new wallet and put money, gift cards, pictures of us and other small items in there just to show him I care. To me thats better than slapping a 20 dollar bill in a card and being done with it.
Definitely food. Maybe homemade, but only if it's something that is special for birthdays and not made regularly at other times. Otherwise the best food gifts in my family are either something more expensive than everyday (real maple syrup, smoked salmon with all the fixings) or something the recipient likes but others in the household don't (rhubarb jam, really dark chocolate, certain types of pickles, etc.).
Thanks for the encouragement, it's exactly what I needed right now. I'm clearing out stuff as we speak as I found myself starting to slow down and drift off. So, I took my camera out (I thought I was the only one who came up with that idea haha). It is extremely helpful. I have a lot of old toys from childhood and I don't want to waste too much time trying to sell them so I just take a picture and it soothes the parting (it really does)!
I haven't found a good trick for 'papers' yet. It is horrible to sort through it and I am always afraid to throw out a document that I might need later (It's pretty bad, I still have every bank book I ever owned and I'm in my forties! When am I ever going to need to go through the bank book I had when I was sixteen!)
Ok, I better get back to work before I get side tracked :)
Thanks again, I will concentrate on the liberating feeling it must provide when one is all done.
My husband loves video games. So my gift not only includes getting him the game, but also giving him time to play it, no guilt or bugging him about it either.
Quinoa is great too!
I never find the true answers in articles like this. Sure anything is possible.... if you have the money to pay for it! Everything I need (not want, there is a difference) is based on how the HELL am I going to pay for any of this. It seems every time I just barely squeak by, save a little extra, start to dream a little - Pow, I get hit with some huge bill that wipes it all away. I don't deserve it - I pay all my bills on time, i work hard, I volunteer, I raise my children to the best of my ability, I have the best spouse in the world to walk through life with. So to hear time and time again the advice that if I can dream it I can do it is BS. Unless I hit the lotto (which I won't since I don't gamble) that's not going to happen. There has to be a better way to find happiness. Unfortunately it seems without going into debt - which is easy to do - but i refuse to do so like so many others - without a little extra money - you can't find that true happiness! All I want is for my car to stop needing repairs when I need to pay my tax bill. Please something don't break in the house - when the utilities are due. Please don't let me save $50 this month only to have the car insurance, a birthday, Christmas, a wedding, and who knows what else that will cost me something. They say money can't buy happiness and that may be true -but barely breaking even and worrying constantly about what's next? Is pure torture.
Tonight I did a side by side comparison of Banquet Chicken Nuggets and the Aldi's brand (Kirkwood?) Without knowing which were which, my husband wrongly assumed that the grayish spongy looking flat nuggets were the Aldi brand. When cut in half, the banquet nuggets were clearly brownish and unidentifiable on the inside. The Aldi nuggets were white, the color of white meat chicken. Taste test comparison, the Banquet nugget tasted like processed meat with a "canned" taste. The Aldi nugget tasted like chicken. We have found this to be the case with all of the Aldi (Kirkwood) processed chicken: patties, tenderloins, breaded, fried and the individually quick frozen varieties as well. I haven't compared the ingredients to be honest but if I had to guess, I would guess that the processed chicken at Aldi's has fewer fillers and preservatives than the Banquet and other brand varieties you can purchase at your chain stores--just based on the fact that the Aldi's brand tastes like what it is supposed to be. So if you want to compare apples, to apples (processed food to processed food), I would place my bet that the Aldi brands are better for you. If you are talking foods without additives and preservatives and trying to compare those to processed foods, well that's just common sense that the "natural" foods will be better for you. Let's stick to apples to apples and oranges to oranges. Speaking of which, the produce at our Aldi's is actually very good for the most part. Maybe it depends on the day of week you shop. Chain stores rotate their produce so frequently that there is a ton of waste. I'll stick to the farmer's markets in the summer.
What comprises your bleach solution for keeping the mildew off the shower curtain? I am SO sick of having a bathtub full of black mold, however much I scrub, and the curtain also looks gross. I recently tried a paste of white vinegar and baking soda - applying it to all the mildewed surfaces, let it sit for about 1 hour, then scrubbed. Some came off, but so little. And there's no vent in the bathroom (can't install one - it's the first floor rental of a house). I do my best to remember to leave the window open post-shower - we'll see if this is still viable in the winter, when it's cold in NYC.
This is a huge benefit for parents and children. The FAFSA which is the federal form that determines aid eligibility for most schools does not require you to report any funds in retirement savings accounts. However, they certainly do require you to disclose any college savings accounts or other assets. When determining aid eligibility the formula is usually about 30% of the students net assets per year, and 10% of the parents net assets per year as the "ability to pay" of student/parent contribution.
As such, putting money into a Roth IRA can allow the money to grow and be withdrawn to pay for college (from either a child's IRA if they have had at least 5k of earned income for each year that contributions were made) or from yours. This will allow you to maximize school financial aid and still save for college.
Hey Charlie,
Thanks for dropping by. I personally don't use prepaid debit cards. I prefer credit cards. But mainly because I like to rack up the rewards -- without paying interest. So many prepaid cards come with fees and hassles. If I were to choose a prepaid card, though, I would probably use the Mango card, and deposit money regularly to avoid the fee. The yield is pretty solid. I would use it as a savings tool.
How about some non traditional meats, like goat. If you live anywhere that has a large African or Carribbean community, goat meat can be purchased cheaply. It tastes a little bit like lamb.
I'm thinking of getting one of these to use for purchasing gas, right now the way I budget is the envelope system, but I think this would be more convenient since I could use pay at the pump.
I've avoided eating meat almost my whole life, and I turn to these sources of protein to supplement. I have never had tempeh, but beans and other plant proteins are great. Also, quinoa is a great way to stock up on protein.
By far the best gift I ever received was a bound notebook with two pages letters of advice from the most important older men in my life. Some gentlemen wrote to me of virtue, others of work, others of women, and my high school track coach whom I was very close to wrote me a letter of his ambitions for me and how I could surpass them. To this day I still crack this gift open once in a while when I need to center myself or just need some help.
Best man gift?
A round of golf for him and 3 of his buddies. Guys LOVE it cause even if they do not golf, they can go out there and drink!
I know that not everyone can get it, but for those who can, I highly recommend the USAA Prepaid card. It's intended especially for tweens & teens as a way to learn to handle their money. There are no fees & it's really simple to setup online.
https://www.usaa.com/inet/pages/youth_prepaid_spending_card_main